The California invoice to ban sweepstakes casinos is getting some pushback from teams representing “on-line social video games”. After last week’s Social and Promotional Video games Affiliation (SPGA) letter disparaging the invoice’s obvious overreach, one other group, the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA), has now come out with a devoted web site.
The SGLA’s web site at present has 21,577 actions taken on the time of writing, throughout writing, calling, and posting to X, previously Twitter, directed at native lawmakers. Relying on the place you hail from in California, the location will direct you to message the representatives from that space.
We enter completely different places into the location, with erroring out for those who select exterior of California (New York, Alabama, India, and the UK), which was to be anticipated.
The location has a prebuilt message for emailing, a script for cellphone calls, and is about as much as routinely mean you can put up to X with a message to these representatives. It’s a complete operation, one which now wants almost 8,500 new actions so it may “attain [the] subsequent objective”. Trying over the social media web site, there’s a complete of three posts despatched through the web site utilizing the direct message.
Right here’s what the SGLA is saying
The SGLA’s pre-written e mail reads:
“As a constituent in your district, I’m reaching out to precise my sturdy opposition to Meeting Invoice No. 831, which seeks to outlaw on-line social video games. As a California voter, I’m deeply involved about this invoice and what it represents.
“AB 831 is an pointless intrusion into private alternative. As an grownup, I ought to have the liberty to take pleasure in authorized and accountable types of leisure with out interference from lawmakers. This consists of the selection that I, and lots of different Californians, make to play on-line social video games that use sweepstakes promotions in our spare time.”
It continues in a 3rd part after permitting the consumer to jot down their very own portion of the message:
“California legislators shouldn’t give into strain by playing pursuits to ban these video games to squash perceived competitors. This rushed proposal would abruptly reduce off Californians from a well-liked type of leisure that has been loved by People throughout the nation for years.
“As a substitute of limiting private freedoms and concentrating on a innocent type of leisure, I urge you to oppose this overreaching and pointless invoice.”
SPGA makes use of Dr. Pepper sweepstakes as instance of overreach
Legislative Loser: Pump the Brakes, California
What do a brand new Toyota Tacoma, $5,000 in money, & a few e-bikes have in frequent?
They’re all a part of Maverik & Dr. Pepper’s Journey & Roam sweepstakes, below CA's proposed AB 831, this type of promotion might be deemed unlawful.
— theSPGA (@theSPGA) July 11, 2025
Presently, the SPGA is making an attempt to combat again on the invoice via social media. Its most up-to-date declare is that sweepstakes usually can be banned, utilizing a latest Dr. Pepper promotional sweepstakes for instance. Nevertheless, non-sweepstakes on line casino giveaways will presumably discover a method via this.
California tribes again the ban
California’s tribes, who’re for the ban, spoke throughout a webinar last Wednesday. The tribes view sweepstakes casinos as working exterior the playing guidelines they need to adhere to, and as encroaching on legal guidelines that limit different teams from working casinos or playing shops in particular states.
Tribal gaming lawyer, Joe Webster, mentioned:
“An avalanche is already taking place in opposition to these (operators). You’re seeing state-by-state laws, AG opinions and enforcement motion, and plenty of lawsuits being filed.
“An entire vary of gaming that tribes are speculated to have exclusivity for is being run over by these operators.”
IGA Convention Chair Victor Rocha added that varied social media campaigns really feel “faux and insincere.”
ReadWrite has tried to achieve out for remark.
The put up SGLA adds own salvo against California’s sweepstakes casino ban appeared first on ReadWrite.
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